Antibiotic Stewardship in the U.S. Woefully Weak, Experts At Global Conference Say

A confluence of factors including an inflexible regulatory enviroment that disourages research and discovery, a paltry research pipeline for drugs for the most serious illnesses, and a tendency for physicians to unnecessarily prescribe antibiotics for routine aches and pains is largely responsible for the rise of antibiotic-resistant infections in humans, speakers at a major conference on infectious diseases this week announced.

“It is a perfect storm — antibiotic discovery is hard, the return on investment for companies that pursue it is average at best, and the regulatory environment is hostile,” said David Shlaes, M.D., an expert in antimicrobial agents, at the biennial International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases held in Atlanta.